"So I'm gonna make the cake, and pick up the beer, and turn on the Christmas lights [our 'grown-up' version of balloons tied to the front porch]... anything else you'd like me to take care of"
"... Oh yeah, you could throw some music together, maybe a playlist or something...?"
Throw together a playlist, pshaw, who do you think I am? Someone who... just... throws together a playlist?!? I mean really....
Making a mix is a delicate and time consuming thing. Making a mix for someone else is doubly so, but making a mix for someone else's party, and a Big Birthday at that... well apparently that takes a very. Long. Time.
Step 1) Alphabetically go through my entire itunes library looking for songs my friend would like.
Step 2) Secretly rip several of her favourite CDs onto my computer and added some of those songs.
Step 3) Cull the list, removing any excessively represented bands (max of three songs per group)
Step 4) Begrudgingly remove songs I knew were on there more for me than for her.
Step 5) "Randomize"
I don't perhaps give computers the respect they're due... manually randomizing things is near fracking impossible! Clicking on songs, scrolling down the list and dropping them wherever they happen to land, then repeating over and over and over again... yeah that was a good two hours right there.
Step 6) Song-to-song transitions
... the most important part of any mix-making venture. Sure the songs you pick are important, but having them flow properly, having the chords blend seamlessly or jar your ears in just the right way, having the right balance of boppy, slow, old, new, clear, grungy... that takes time. Three. Hours.
It may be fifteen point three hours long (in the words of my sister: "Sweet Jesus, when is she even going to have time to listen to all that!?!") , but I take my mix-making responsibilities seriously, especially when the fate of a thirtieth birthday hangs in the balance (or so I like to think)!
No comments:
Post a Comment